Quick Hits

posted by Jay -

May 2, 2017

Studies suggest that three-quarters of Americans are lacking enough Vitamin D, including 95% of African Americans. While many studies suggest the reason people are Vitamin D deficient is because folks are staying indoors more, a new paper claims it’s because the use of sunscreen is blocking out all the benefits we get from the sun. This is a problem because insufficient Vitamin D can lead to muscle weakness and bone fractures

A new survey finds that a lot of young kids don’t eat vegetables at all! 25% of six-to-11-month-olds, and 20% of one-year-olds, ate no veggies on the days mothers were polled about their kids eating habits. 26% of one-year-olds had eaten French fries a day prior to the survey, which is way more than ate dark green veggies (7.5%) or deep yellow veggies (17%)

We all have to deal with stress, but some of us do it better than others. And the side effects of stress could be worse than the thing you’re actually worried about. Here are some symptoms of stress you might not know about.

It makes you exhausted- Not only does anxiety keep you up at night, when you freak out, your brain releases the stress hormone cortisol. It speeds up your heartbeat, and gives you energy to deal with the stress, but frequent stress can lead the brain to limit the amount of cortisol it releases, so you feel tired all the time.

It messes with your libido- It’s hard to get in the mood when your mind's on other things, but chronic stress also affects your estrogen production, so you could feel a drop in your sex drive as well.

It makes you break out- Stressing out can also cause the level of sexhormones called androgens to spike, leading to those dreaded breakouts.

It makes you gain weight- According to a University of Kentucky study, dieters who learned stress-management tactics were more successful at losing weight than the ones who didn’t. And binge eating when you’re stressed certainly doesn’t help!

You could lose some hair - Those androgens that can cause breakouts can also cause your hair to shed more than usual. It usually happens three to six months after a very stressful situation, but the good news is that it’s normally just temporary.

It makes your back ache - The fight-or-flight response leads to more hormones being released, and when you add that to your elevated heart rate and blood pressure, it can cause your muscles to tighten up and you feel the aches more.

Way back when, milk was just milk and it came from a cow. Then there was soy, for people who wanted a dairy alternative, and now nut milks are everywhere. But with all the options, which one is better for us? Thankfully, this research compares different types of milk so we know which is healthiest.

Looking at the calories, total fat, saturated fat, protein, sugar, and calcium, here’s the breakdown on the milk variations:

Cow’s milk - It’s full of essential nutrients, but it also has sugar and saturated fat. The nonfat or 1% options are better, but some people are lactose intolerant, so they can’t drink animal milk.

Sweetened versions of any milk- A lot of soy and nut milks are loaded with sugar, that’s how they make them taste so good! But they’re definitely not the healthiest choice.

Cashew milk- Without the sugar, this one has the fewest calories, but it doesn’t offer much protein.

Rice and soy milks - They’re higher in calories, have less protein and there’s still some debate about how much soy we should be eating.

Unsweetened almond milk - This is the overall winner because it has the second fewest calories, behind cashew, but it also has more calcium than cow’s milk and more protein than rice or cashew. Without the sugar, it has the least amount of fat after unsweetened cashew and nonfat milk. So unsweetened almond milk is the healthiest choice. Now you just have to get used to the taste!

People joke all the time about being addicted to their smartphones, but some people really do have a problem. It’s not productive or healthy to be so obsessed with your devices. When it gets to the point that you can’t go 20 minutes without checking your phone, or sleep with it under the pillow, it’s intervention time.

There are actual digital detox retreats, where you can go tech-free and work on your personal wellness, but that seems a little extreme. So here’s a weeklong plan to help you break your habit that’s practical and effective. And remember, admitting you have a problem is the first step.

Monday -Unfollow everyone who isn’t your real friend, delete the apps you don’t use, and unsubscribe from all those email lists you never read anyway.

Tuesday -Turn off push notifications.

Wednesday -Fight the urge to look at your phone first thing in the morning.

Thursday -Move your charging station to somewhere outside your bedroom and stop looking at your phone an hour before you go to bed.

Friday -When you go out to dinner, leave your phone at home. Too much for you? At least don’t put it on the table at the restaurant.

Saturday -Don’t post or look at social media all day. It sounds impossible, but you can do it!

Sunday -Leave your smartphone off all day long. It’s only one day, you got this!